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Post by chrisparker on May 7, 2016 15:59:41 GMT
Terrible. Ireland has been getting a lot of stick but in all fairness to him, it was a superb pass through the heart of Palace's defence & Arnie embarrassingly skied it.
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Post by chrisparker on May 7, 2016 15:56:30 GMT
We will go into next season on the back of probably the worst run we have had in the PL. some of these players just don't have any ambition. Worst run in the premier league? Worse that 2 wins in 5 months?
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Post by chrisparker on May 7, 2016 14:54:20 GMT
Both Imbula & Arnie look superb today. What a goal by Adam. Great half guys.
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Post by chrisparker on May 7, 2016 11:08:06 GMT
No brainer at that price. Although I'd be tempted to add a few more million to that sum and go for Bony. Bony is shite.
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Post by chrisparker on May 6, 2016 15:02:17 GMT
Shaqiri shouldn't be going anywhere. He's probably contributed a similar amount to what Arnie did in his first season. Look at Arnie now? Comfortably our best player and perhaps one of the best in the league. Give him another season, then let's judge. Top player in the making. Arnie did fuck all in his first season. Shaq has certainly done more than that.
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Post by chrisparker on May 6, 2016 15:01:31 GMT
Bojan will be available so you can ignore my initial post.
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Post by chrisparker on May 5, 2016 20:52:07 GMT
Well, still no Johnson, any/all of Bojan, Shaq and Arnie doubtful, Adam and Crouch praised by the manager for last weekend's showing, so what the team could be I have no idea!! My best guess: Haugaard Bardsley Shawcross Cameron Pieters Whelan Adam Imbula Shaqiri Crouch Walters Good call however scarily 5 of them are Pulis signings, possibly 6 if you include Erik How many players did Pulis sign & how many did Hughes sign? How many years was Pulis our manager & how many years has Hughes been our manager?
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Post by chrisparker on May 5, 2016 20:07:04 GMT
The Fonz has been Sevilla's best player this half. T They've been poor though.
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Post by chrisparker on May 5, 2016 17:03:53 GMT
Hughes in his press conference says that he got a bang in the top of his foot & that he didn't train today. Could still be available against Palace but that depends on his condition tomorrow.
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Post by chrisparker on May 5, 2016 12:58:34 GMT
Even if we lose, I've still made plans of running onto the pitch to punch this twat's face ....
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Post by chrisparker on May 5, 2016 12:24:32 GMT
Sparky massively overachieved last season imo with the squad he had, especially after injuries to Bojan & Moses. I was expecting us to stall somewhere around 45 points last season but we somehow managed to get to 54 & deservedly so. This season a lot of people, including myself, were expecting that we would beat that tally but it was never going to be easy especially after losing our best player from last season.
But the way we were going until the end of January it seemed like we could even manage 60 points but we seemed to have lost our way a little bit & now that we know it's not going to happen, we can put it down to a number of factors - a plethora of injuries, players not turning up after Christmas, unsettled backline, some of the manager's tactical decisions, home crowd being terrible constantly etc. But it has still been a very good season & we certainly have made some progress, especially away from home.
We've reached the point where if we're to improve each season, we need to have a little bit of luck with injuries & so on. One or 2 more additions to the squad & we'd be on the same level as the likes of Southampton. But Hughes is doing a great job & long may it continue...
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Bojan
May 4, 2016 18:41:40 GMT
Post by chrisparker on May 4, 2016 18:41:40 GMT
Everyone gets a little worked up about the need to track back. Bojan does track back, he is actually pretty ineffective in this role in much the same way as Mahrez and Lamela are, but he does nevertheless track back. The secret being you have to really look like you're busting a gut to track back, a bit like Super Jon. Bojan does fail at this point sadly. That's complete bs. Did you watch the Leciester game against United? Mahrez did a lot of defending throughout the game, in fact that's what he did most of time. And as for Lamela, he's shite at tackling & gives away far too many fouls but he does put a challenge in & he won't let you run past him effortlessly, unlike Imbula & Bojan.
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Bojan
May 4, 2016 18:20:44 GMT
Post by chrisparker on May 4, 2016 18:20:44 GMT
Free role? We're Stoke not Barca. We don't have the luxury of free roles & anyone who thinks we do is mistaken. Seemed to work ok last year didn't it? How many number 10s are renowned for their tracking back? It's the one position in the team where you can get away without it. I don't agree that Imbula's a better option in that position or about Liverpool's goals either. It worked last year because last year we had Nzonzi who covered a record breaking 260 miles in 40 games, which was not only the highest in the league last season, it's one of the highest distance covered stats by a single player in the premier league era. Nzonzi did the work of 2-3 people even which is why we didn't feel like we ever needed to play a 3 man midfield last season & Bojan was free to do whatever he wanted. We don't have that this season which is why teams create so many chances against us.
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Bojan
May 4, 2016 18:01:02 GMT
Post by chrisparker on May 4, 2016 18:01:02 GMT
This mentality is one of the main reasons why we're not higher up in the table. Football is a team game. Everyone has to contribute when we attack & likewise everyone has to contribute when we defend. Bojan virtually plays like a second strike & we don't have a power house engine in the midfield like Nzonzi to play 4-4-2 effectively. When Bojan stays up the pitch, every single time we're left 3v2 in midfield. 2 of our goals against United were concede in this manner, similarly Liverpool's second was a result of a 3v2 in midfield. Just look at how many goals we've conceded this season, add to that the fact that butland had made the most number of saves in the league when he got injured, it' clear that teams are creating too many chances against us. Whelan, Adam, Affelay, Van Ginkel, Imbula none of them have the pace & stamina to play in a 2 man midfield. Nzonzi did. I have the exact same problem with Imbula as well but he can do one thing that Bojan can't. He can hold up play & release pressure when we're pinned back. Bojan is not an outlet. The truth is he's a very creative player & we can use his creativity from time to time but there's 2 sides to a game & if he doesn't help the rest of the team out defensively then he can continue to stay on the bench. If he isn't happy, then he can leave. No one's forcing him to stay at Stoke. But Hughes has every right to drop Bojan & I've been calling for it long before he did. Everyone has a soft spot for Bojan but that doesn't mean he should be judged by different standards. No player is bigger than the team. It's not so much about Bojan as that role in the team - it's one where you dan pretty much have as close to a free role as you get. Free role? We're Stoke not Barca. We don't have the luxury of free roles & anyone who thinks we do is mistaken.
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Bojan
May 4, 2016 17:55:08 GMT
Post by chrisparker on May 4, 2016 17:55:08 GMT
Bojan plays behind the striker, it's the one role in the team that doesn't require any defending, so chipping off at him for that seems unfair. There was a point earlier in the season where he was badly struggling and rightly out of the team. He's been desperately unlucky to be dropped of late just as he was finding some form though, and god knows what he thinks of finding himself lower down the pecking order than a player signed to play an entirely different role. Hughes surely has big plans for him though and with a full pre-season behind him he should remind everyone next season exactly what a star he is. If he doesn't, something somewhere is seriously wrong, either with him or with us. This mentality is one of the main reasons why we're not higher up in the table. Football is a team game. Everyone has to contribute when we attack & likewise everyone has to contribute when we defend. Bojan virtually plays like a second strike & we don't have a power house engine in the midfield like Nzonzi to play 4-4-2 effectively anymore. When Bojan stays up the pitch, every single time we're left 3v2 in midfield. 2 of United's goals at Old Trafford were conceded in this manner, similarly Liverpool's second was a result of this 3v2 matchup in midfield. Just look at how many goals we've conceded this season, add to that the fact that butland had made the most number of saves in the league when he got injured, it' clear that teams are creating too many chances against us. Whelan, Adam, Affelay, Van Ginkel, Imbula none of them have the pace & stamina to play in a 2 man midfield. Nzonzi did. I have the exact same problem with Imbula as well but he can do one thing that Bojan can't. He can hold up play & release pressure when we're pinned back. Bojan is not an outlet. The truth is he's a very creative player & we can use his creativity from time to time but there's 2 sides to a game & if he doesn't help the rest of the team out defensively then he can continue to stay on the bench. If he's pissed off at the club, the he can fuck off. No one's forcing him to stay at Stoke. Hughes has every right to drop Bojan & I've been calling for it long before he did. Everyone has a soft spot for Bojan but that doesn't mean he should be judged by different standards. No player is bigger than the team. We attack together, we defend together. That's how Leciester won the league.
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Bojan
May 3, 2016 23:06:42 GMT
Post by chrisparker on May 3, 2016 23:06:42 GMT
Thought he was one of a handful of bright sparks vs Swansea in the number 10 role and then followed that up with a goal at Anfield. And then Hughes tried the false 9 bollocks out, which just doesn't work. I was surprised he didn't start as the number 10 at the weekend and he should be starting there this weekend. He scored a goal at Anfield but he was woeful in that game & was one of the reasons Liverpool's midfield ran past our front line so effortlessly. Doesn't even attempt to put a challenge in. Our defence improved significantly when he came off & that's why Hughes tried the false 9 against Tottenham because he knows Bojan is a huge liability in midfield when we're defending. Didn't work, fine, we move on but Bojan has got nothing to complainn about. Fortunately I don't believe the story written in the Mail, I think it's a load of bollocks. Bojan seems like a nice guy & I don't think he's the sort of player who'd be questioning the manager's decision especially considering our defensive frailties in recent games.
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Post by chrisparker on May 3, 2016 22:59:52 GMT
Unless of course it was the horny one
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Bojan
May 3, 2016 22:41:46 GMT
Post by chrisparker on May 3, 2016 22:41:46 GMT
Our defending has been poor since the Leicester game and Bojan adds nothing to our defence. Affelay has made the creative mid-field role his and deserved to keep his position till injured. Afellay creates next to nothing though! We've got 2 players who can create chances & 1 who can finish. The rest do fuck all going forward.
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Post by chrisparker on May 3, 2016 22:32:08 GMT
It is a bit unusual isn't it that a married man flies all the way to Ibiza to party with a couple of single women at a night club?
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Bojan
May 3, 2016 22:25:16 GMT
Post by chrisparker on May 3, 2016 22:25:16 GMT
Maybe if he'd turn up in more than just 1 game in 5 & helped the rest of the team out defensively rather than just cluelessly standing in the opposition half screaming at Pieters & Whelan for not being able to defend against 4 players, he'll have a chance of winning back his place. But as of now he's deservedly on the bench.
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Bojan
May 3, 2016 22:19:01 GMT
Post by chrisparker on May 3, 2016 22:19:01 GMT
He should have two weeks in the sun and get back early for conditioning before pre season , been tough for him but next season seems make or break in terms of his career Jesus next season, everyone's career is on the line isn't it? Bojan, Shaq, Imbula, Hughes. Makes me wonder what the oatcake would be like if we end up bottom half.
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Post by chrisparker on May 3, 2016 21:02:14 GMT
Simeone is an absolute cunt. Throwing balls on the field, punching fourth officials, fighting with opposing managers... who the fuck does he think he is? Just a poor man's Tony Pulis.
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Post by chrisparker on May 3, 2016 15:36:22 GMT
If I had a nickel for every time I've heard that, I'd have one nickel.
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Post by chrisparker on May 2, 2016 23:33:50 GMT
Also here's a bonus by that cunt Piers Morgan -
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Post by chrisparker on May 2, 2016 23:24:27 GMT
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Post by chrisparker on May 2, 2016 23:11:03 GMT
No I don't think so, its just a one off. You seem very sure of yourself. The TV money next year will ensure that smaller clubs can also compete financially.
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10th
May 2, 2016 23:08:44 GMT
Post by chrisparker on May 2, 2016 23:08:44 GMT
Still 10th but Everton and waatford are both 4 points behind us with a game in hand and a better GD We need to get a win from the last 2 games to ensure top half The way we are playing I think we will do well to get a point, unless we catch CP on the back foot. Please lord anything but another win for Pardew against us.
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Post by chrisparker on May 2, 2016 22:55:19 GMT
You mean do the Mourhino. Except in his case there's a 4th point which is, after 2 seasons of parking the bus, it's time to throw your players under it.
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Post by chrisparker on May 2, 2016 22:51:37 GMT
Whoever reignited this thread is a legend Not really. The majority of people were questioning it. Yeah me too but I was tempted to revisit some of the initial reactions to appointing Ranieri.
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Post by chrisparker on May 2, 2016 22:47:08 GMT
Why is there no bitterness towards our manager? He let go the best centre half in the league and he is now PL champion. I had a Hughes out thread shit binned the other day but I still stand by it. We are going nowhere with this manager. Fair play to Leicester though, really pleased for them. I was wondering at what point the lunatics would return.
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